This was such a huge hit with my family that I know I will be making it again and again,  especially since it was quite easy to make!  I have to give a shout-out to my neighbor Diane, the most lovely and incredible neighbor!  She told me about her coconut tofu with orange sauce and it sounded so amazing I knew I had to make it.  In my pre-vegan days I loved coconut shrimp and I couldn’t wait to capture some of those flavors again.  This is what I created from her guidelines and I can’t thank her enough!  It was also the perfect recipe in which to incorporate kuzu, my favorite thickener. To learn a little about kuzu, click here.  I hope you love this recipe too!

• 1 16 oz package extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1 T ener G egg replacer with 4 T warm water
• 1 T coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup panko crumbs
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1-2 T coconut oil (not needed if baking)

sauce:

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 t brown sugar
• 1/2 T orange zest
• 1 T vegan butter
• 1 T kuzu root starch (or cornstarch) mixed with 3 T water
• 1 T chopped cilantro for garnish

Press the tofu, either with a tofu press, or if you don’t have one, by placing the tofu on a plate, covering with some paper towel and another plate on top, and then piling heavy items on top of that, such as a large pot or some heavy books.  Let sit for 20 minutes and this will release a lot of the liquid from the tofu.

Next, cut the tofu in half lengthwise, and then into 8 rectangles.

In a small bowl, combine the panko, coconut, brown sugar and salt.  Mix well.

In another small bowl, combine the egg replacer and the coconut aminos.

Dip the tofu pieces in the liquid, then into the crumbs.  Really press the crumbs into the tofu on all sides.

Heat 1 T coconut oil in a large pan over medium high heat and sautee the tofu until golden on both sides.  You may need to add the second T coconut oil once you flip the tofu.

If you prefer to bake the tofu, it is just as delicious, but a bit less golden brown. 

baked coconut tofu

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place tofu on a lightly greased baking sheet and spray it with oil spray.  Bake 10 minutes per side and then broil on high for 3-5 minutes, watching so it does not burn.

For the sauce, bring the orange juice and brown sugar to a boil in a medium pan.  Let boil for 3 minutes.  Decrease the heat to low and add the zest, salt and vegan butter.  Stir in the kuzu.  Remove from heat.  Add cilantro and serve immediately.  The sauce will start to congeal if using the kuzu, but this may be an added bonus.  My family loves it because it is like a marmalade.

serves 4